Top seed Djokovic had not lost a match to the Croat and his unbeaten record never looked in danger against the US Open champion who failed to master the Serb's precise groundstrokes.

The holder made it into his 27th grand slam semi with his 50th win at Wimbledon, only the seventh man to reach that number of victories, and was surely relieved to have an easy time of it.

Djokovic will take on 21st-seed Richard Gasquet who knocked out French Open champion Stan Wawrinka.

Beckham was among those on Centre Court who watched Murray progress [Getty Images]

For Murray, the match that started under grey skies and finished under Centre Court's roof because of rain showers was never straightforward.

Cheered on by a full house that included Prince William, his wife the Duchess of Cambridge and former England football captain David Beckham, Murray broke serve in the third game of the match and was leading 3-1 when light rain forced a suspension of play.

On the resumption Murray resisted some eye-catching tennis from the quarter-final debutant but moved a set ahead when 25-year-old Pospisil netted a forehand.

Another rain break in the second set with Murray down 4-3, which this time prompted the roof to close, seemed to unsettle Pospisil and he dropped serve at 5-5 when he was left floundering at the net by a dipping Murray backhand.

Murray pressed hard in the third set but Pospisil did not crack and even when Murray served for the match at 5-4 Pospisil earned his first break point of the match.

He could not take it though and Murray secured the win with a rasping forehand on his second match point to reach his sixth Wimbledon semi-final.